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UPDATE:
Our other
rescued pregnant cat, Remi, gave birth to her kittens this week. |
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New kittens, just 2
days old |
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If left unspayed, this
kitten and it's offspring would produce 420,000 cats in seven years |
The Tragic Cycle
Another call to Pasado's for help. A family of cats had been
abandoned and was breeding. Their owner had left them behind to
fend for themselves.
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In this particular case,
the person who abandoned them has been identified and Pasado's is
working with local authorities to pursue prosecution. Pasado's
wrote the law last year elevating the penalty for animals abandonment
from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor. A gross misdemeanor
carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
In
addition to the increased penalty, lack of funds, or "economic distress"
is no longer an affirmative defense for deserting animals. |
The kittens are being
bottled fed round the clock by Pasado's staff and volunteers
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After taking a quick
census of the cat family, we discovered that there was a mama with three
tiny kittens, a granny cat, also pregnant and ready to give birth any
day, and a dad. Because the Mama kitty was really too young
to have kittens (she is aprox. 7 months old, just a kitten herself) she
is not producing milk and the kittens are being bottle fed every couple
of hours. They are snuggled in with the rest of their family
at Misty's Kitty City at the Pasado's sanctuary.
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The Facts:
What many people might
find shocking is that one unspayed cat and her offspring can
produce 420,000 cats in seven years. Approximately 70,000
puppies and kittens are born in the United States each day. Some of
them are born to breeders who sell animals for a profit, some are
born to people who want their cat or dog to have the “experience” of
having a litter or who want their children to witness the “miracle
of life,” and some result from allowing fertile animals to roam
freely and mate.
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Amy, the mother,
with her catnip toy |
Whatever
the reason, the number of cats far exceeds the number of loving homes
available. Unwanted animals are often treated as a nuisance; incidents
of kitten drownings and
abandonments are common. |
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Animal
control agencies and shelters receive approximately 6 to 8 million
animals annually. Those who are not adopted within about a week or two
(3 to 4 million of them) are killed either by painless lethal injection
or by inhumane methods, such as the use of carbon monoxide or
decompression chambers. |
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Amy and Remi, the
grandmother |
In
many areas where “pound seizure” is permitted, unclaimed animals can
be given or sold to laboratories. And every one of these
animals could be a wonderful companion if given the chance to.
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An Ounce of
Prevention
Spaying and neutering helps stem the tide of overpopulation. It does
not affect animals’ energy levels or change their personalities, as
some people mistakenly believe. Spaying eliminates the stress and
discomfort that females endure during heat periods, eliminates the
risk of uterine cancer, and greatly reduces the risk of mammary
cancer.
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Neutering
makes males far less likely to roam or fight, prevents testicular
cancer, and reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Altered animals are
less likely to contract deadly, contagious diseases spread through
bodily fluids, such as feline AIDS and leukemia. |
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What You Can Do
Adopt from shelters—and don’t forget about adult animals, who
are often overlooked by people looking for a puppy or a kitten, but who
often have the advantage of being housebroken and trained. Urge people
who desire the companionship of animals to adopt from animal shelters.
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Fuzzy has already found
a loving new home |
Work
within your community to legislate mandatory spaying and neutering. And
if you know someone who is hesitant to have an animal spayed or
neutered, explain to him or her the benefits of the procedure and why it
is so important. Pasado's answers the need for low cost spays and
neuters with our mobile Spay and Neuter clinic. Read more
here.
Know someone in Washington that needs to spay or neuter their pet?
Please see our Spay Station schedule
here.
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We will be looking for
loving homes for the cats and kittens once they are old enough.
Please stay tuned for more details! |
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